I shivered as I stood waist-deep in the cold running water, and wondered if I’d just go all winter without bathing.

Hygiene was a luxury I’d had to mostly abandon in the wild, but even so, I tried to take a bath and wash out all my clothes at least twice a week, but it was getting so cold now, I could no longer just lay out naked on the riverbank and let the sun warm and dry me. I had plenty of time to kill because my clothes were taking longer and longer to dry, but I didn’t want to kill that time. I wanted to be warm and inside and dressed.

Speaking of which, now was usually around the time when I’d have to keep an eye out for cam-drones which, in AEGIS’ words ‘just so happened to be patrolling the area.’ She’d made quite a nuisance out of being captivated by my body, and I felt sometimes, I spent more time trying to shut her down and threatening to break her toys than I actually did getting clean.

No such problems today, it seemed. That or she was just getting better at hiding them. I did lie and say I was just going fishing…and I would come home with some fish, so not technically lying. But still.

Without having to fight off the peeping drones, now the most fun part. I called it practice, which it probably was, but it was also just good manly fun. I made a tiny blade of lightning between my thumb and forefinger and drew it down my cheek, focusing on having it adhere exactly to the contour of my face.

I’d learned that lightning under my control basically did whatever I wanted, as long as it was close to me and I was focusing on it. Even here, with my face all wet, I could carefully control the flow of electricity so that it always arced precisely between my fingers, instead of dissipating into the water and shocking me. Like a tiny saw, the wisp of lightning eradicated any hairs which dared peek beyond the surface of my skin.

No shaving cream, no cleanup, perfectly smooth every time. If only I could market this.

I’d considered growing out a beard, both because I hear they were warm, and because Wynn had a fantastic one, plus there wasn’t much else to do out here, but I didn’t know how accurately I could keep it trimmed without a mirror, and after my last two traumatizing experiences, I wasn’t interested in looking in a mirror anymore. Clean-shaven was fast and easy, and kept me above mockery from the girls.

It was only when I couldn’t feel the smooth pebbles under my numb toes anymore that I finally gave up and got out. Not that the river was ever exactly warm, but the air above it was felt really, really cold. I’d often considered asking AEGIS what we could do about getting an indoor shower (and toilet, while I was dreaming) but knew that would essentially give her free reign on spying on me whenever her perverted little heart desired. I wasn’t so desperate as that quite yet, but the nippy air was definitely making a strong case in favor of her debauchery.

I walked over to the tree to check my clothes. Still damp, and being both my only set and also my only souvenir of my past life, I refused to expose them to lightning or fire to dry, worried that I’d damage them more than my lifestyle already did. I might put them on and let my body heat try to do its thing, but then I’d be even colder. Still, not much else for me to do now but the fishing I’d told AEGIS I would do.

But if cold clothes sucked, sitting on my bare ass on the riverbank with a fishing rod sucked even more. So I bit the bullet, put on my damp clothes, picked up my rod, and headed further downriver.

I was surprised to see Wynn there, and very glad I’d put my clothes back on first. He greeted me with a wave and an old, wheezy chuckle.

“So glad to see you’re still taking care of yourself,” he said. “Hope my fishing tips have come in handy?”

“They’ve been a lifesaver. I think I’d probably have starved if not for you.”

“You credit the teacher when the student did all the learning,” he laughed. “I’m just happy to have some company out here and someone who listens to my old long-winded tales.”

“Where’s Tate?” I asked.

“He’s back at our little camp, doing some repairs. We’ve moved in quite close by for the winter, I hope you don’t mind.”

“I saw you both earlier. You were uh…under Saga’s spell at the time.”

“Oh yes, she does that from time to time. Work in the mines most every night, she drifts off and traumatizes us sometimes, and berates us for being merely human most other times. I’ve been trying to work on her, but the girl is quite stubborn in insisting that everything I say is wrong simply because I’m not Exhuman. In a way, it’s funny, a complete reversal from how Exhumans are treated in normal society,” he laughed.

I didn’t think it was funny at all. “I think it’s pretty sad, honestly. I know she’s had a lot of bad experiences, and can only imagine the thoughts she’s peeked into over the years, but I wish she didn’t feel like she does…or that society felt like it does.”

“She’s let me know quite extensively what an ‘absurdist dreamer’ you are, or several other less-flattering comparisons. In fact, she talks about you an awful lot when you’re not around. Whatever you’ve said to her, I think she’s taken a liking to you,” he said with a wink.

“I don’t know how that would be possible. I’m always just telling her to stop brainwashing the two of you and stop trying to kill all the humans. This isn’t revolutionary stuff here.”

“Maybe not, but I think the manner of the telling is as important as the message in this case. Or maybe I’m just an optimistic old man trying to see young love one more time before I pass.”

“I think technically Saga is like, a hundred years older than you.”

“Is that so? Well for being so old, she has the voice of an angel.”

“An angel of death maybe. She does want to solve a disproportionate number of her problems just by eliminating people.”

“She says so, but for all her bluster of how one day she’s going to pop Tate and my heads like melons, she’s yet to do so, even though we’ve long since proven our uselessness in digging her free. I think she’s nicer than she lets on.”

“Well, we can hope so, because if she’s exactly as nice as she lets on, we’re in for another world war if she ever gets free.” Wynn laughed, though I was a little skeptical how much I’d actually been joking. He stopped laughing and watched me staring at the water.

“You’ve got something bigger on your mind, haven’t you boy?” he asked. I nodded glumly. “Well, you don’t have to share, but if you want to talk about it, I’m here for you.

“I appreciate that. A lot.”

“Nature gives us many gifts, but solitude is just as often a curse.”

“Yeah…and that’s not unrelated to my issue.” I paused a moment to get my thoughts in order while Wynn just sat and waited in silence. “I think AEGIS is leaving. She didn’t tell me, but I sort of accidentally ran into a whole setup she’d made in secret. She’s got a bunch of robots out there working on things, and I feel lame and useless.”

“Hmm. Good for her, getting out on her own, though.”

“I guess. I just wish I hadn’t let her down so much.”

“Have you though?”

“Of course I have. I was supposed to be helping her escape and haven’t made any progress whatsoever. I think that’s why she’s leaving.”

“Hmm. Let me ask you something, do you think I’ve let you down at helping your friend Saga to get out?”

“No, not at all. You’ve done so much for us, you’ve probably saved my life a number of times just by what you’ve taught me.”

“So you think I’m not letting you down, even though I’m not able to offer you something you badly need help with?”

“That’s not the same. I promised AEGIS I’d help her escape, you’re just incidentally a great person.”

“Well, supposing I was the same great person I am but I also promised you I’d help you with Saga. Would you feel let down?”

“No. You still saved my life and taught me a ton of stuff.”

“So what’s the difference between me and you in this discussion and you and her in real life?”

“I don’t know. Something, I guess? I’m not as awesome as you are.”

He laughed again. “You literally saved her life by digging her up, I only armed you with the knowledge you need to live out here and you keep telling me how I’ve saved yours. That makes you seem a lot more ‘awesome’ than I am to me.” The word felt ridiculous coming out of his old, wheezy mouth.

“But…it’s not…urgh.”

“Urgh indeed.”

We sat in silence watching the fishing lines in the water for a few minutes before he spoke again.

“I think…you’re trying to find blame in yourself for her leaving, when her leaving is just a natural part of things. Unless the two of you plan to stay in that concrete building together forever, at some point, something is going to change. You can’t blame yourself for that.”

“I can blame myself for it happening now.”

“Maybe. That doesn’t make you any more right, though,” he said with a wink. “She’s an independent girl and someday will do her own thing without you. You can either accept it or stand in her way, but either way it’s happening. Happens with every child, will even happen with my Tate someday. All I can do is hope that the time I spent with him was enough to teach him to choose well.”

“I don’t think AEGIS is exactly my kid. She’s like…my age.”

“And yet you’re fretting about her leaving your house like a worried mother.”

“I guess.”

I felt like more than that, AEGIS and I were slipping apart and found it hard to put into words.

“I guess…” I started while he again waited patiently. “I guess I feel like it’s more than that. Like the last few days, she’s been a lot more quiet instead of snarky. This morning, I said bye to her and she hardly even responded. I guess…if she is planning to leave…she’s cutting me off before-hand so it won’t hurt her so much, but in doing so, it’s hurting me more.”

He just wrapped an arm around me and held me for a few moments.

“I don’t think there is much for me to say,” he wheezed. “I am sorry that you are hurting. If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know and I will make happen for you.”

“Thanks,” I said quietly, and felt myself lost in the moment.

We fished for hours in silence after that. Not much seemed to be biting, but I sort of preferred it that way right now, being lost in my thoughts with my old friend nearby just passively lending me his support.

It still didn’t sit right with me. Even if she was leaving, even if there was nothing I could do about it, even if I should be happy and support her instead of sad she was leaving…there had to be something I could do. Something to fight against her emotional tide going out.

I’d been thinking on the issue for a few hours when I had a great idea. I jumped up and started to head off, remembering to grab my pole and bid a farewell to Wynn.

“Looks like you’ve had a thought,” he said, laughing.

“Yeah…I don’t know if it’ll work out, but I want to try.”

“Well, best of luck young man.”

I slipped back into The Bunker and as surreptitiously as possible dug through a pile of junk while talking to AEGIS.

“Hey, I’m back.”

“I saw. No fish?”

“Nah, not really biting. Ran into Wynn out there and we talked.”

“Mmhmm.” She typed away at her terminal without giving me a second glance. Meanwhile, my hand closed on something cold and smooth, and I slipped it into my pocket.

“Oh, shoot, I forgot to…tell him something,” I said, stepping back towards the door.

“Yep,” she said in the same flat tone.

I jogged back out in the direction of the river but stopped once I was out of AEGIS’ range.

Her flat response was every conversation I’d had with her the last few days, ever since I accidentally killed her robot. At this point, I thought for sure she knew, but she never mentioned it. I wasn’t sure if she was mad at me or just over me.

But in either case, I wasn’t going to let her just slip away quietly without doing something about it. I drew out a little stylus made of lightning in my hand and got to work carving up the old junk I’d pulled from the pile.

It was slow work but I was happy with it. It was past sundown when I finally came home, whistling cheerily as I entered to make sure AEGIS knew I was coming.

“Hey,” she said, not looking up.

“Hey, AEGIS. Can we talk?” She gave a heavy sigh and pushed her terminal back like I was really ruining her whole day.

“Talk.”

“Well…I feel like we’ve drifted apart the last few days, and I think I know why.” She opened her mouth to respond but I continued. “I saw your robots out in the western forest, I know what you’ve been working on.”

“You…do?” she said, nervously glancing around.

“Yeah. And I wanted to let you know that I’m okay with it. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more with escaping, and if you want to have a go at it with the robots, I understand. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me while you were here.”

“You…no. Don’t thank me,” she said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes while her mouth twitched.

“No, it’s okay. It’s really okay. I’m happy that you’re doing what you want to be doing, even if it’s without me.”

“N-no, you b-b-big dummy,” she cried. Looking at her bawling made me start to want to cry too, so I had to get this out before I was too much of a mess.

“Look, don’t say anything, just…I made you something.” I fished in my pocket and pulled out what I’d spent the last hours working on. When she saw it, she made a noise halfway between a gasp and a squeak and began stroking one of her pigtails so forcefully I thought she might give herself a headache.

“It’s the uh, the original lens that came with your AEGIS box. I used my powers to do a little etching. Sorry I’m not the greatest artist.”

I held it up in front of her camera for her to see. The artistry sucked but the really neat look of the glass etching compensated, I thought. On the flat base, etched backwards so that it’d look forwards from the top, I’d drawn a rough picture of the two of us, basically just smiling and laughing heads, with the caption of “Best Exhuman Roommates Ever”.

“I’ll just put it here,” I said, setting it down on top of the AEGIS box. “You can move it with DOG or have me put it up in your new place, or whatever you want. Just wanted to give you something to remember me by.”

“I…I don’t…I can’t…”

“Just keep it if you want it. I won’t feel too bad if you throw it out,” I forced a laugh.

“I…I’m going to keep this forever. T-thank you, I’ll never f-fo-forget yoooouuuu!” she managed to get out, trailing off into a barely-comprehensible squeal before breaking down completely.

I didn’t want to force her to interact with me any more than she wanted to, and so I bid her a simple goodnight and went to bed early, rolling over to face the wall, and listening to her sniffle and wail for what seemed like hours into the night.